Karl Dorrell breaks down the strengths of his football team

BOUDLER – Karl Dorrell is banking on the big boys.

As part of a six-hour Pac-12 football coaches media webinar Wednesday, Karl Dorrell spoke to reporters ahead of the start of fall camp. This year’s camp is hardly a camp at all, since student-athletes are in class and that will cut into typical camp time. But either way it is set to start Friday, assuming CU gets clearance from Boulder County.

Colorado athletics has submitted a plan to Boulder County Public Health for protocols on controlling the spread of COVID-19 within its dept. BCPH exec. director Jeff Zayach said he anticipates responding to CU within the next 24 hours. #cubuffs hoping to start practice Friday.

— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) October 7, 2020

While Dorrell won’t hold his first official practice until Friday, he has had a chance to watch some drills on the field. When asked about who has impressed him, Dorrell started with the big boys in the trenches.

“As a new coach, if there’s any place you want experience it’s up front,” Dorrell said. Probably our deepest group and our most experienced group has been our offensive and our defensive line. We have some returners who have some great experience–starting experience–and have had some production.”

In particular, Dorrell was excited to have all three starters on the defensive line returning. Earlier in the call, Dorrell said that former No. 1 national recruit Antonio Alfano had been reinstated and was working toward being cleared medically, which would provide even more talent among that group.

For a team with question marks at quarterback, being strong up front is of extra importance. A strong running game certainly doesn’t hurt either, and the running backs were the next group that Dorrell brought up.

“I like our backfield,” Dorrell said. “I know Alex Fontenot leads that group, but I like that group. There’s some depth there.”

That depth includes sophomore Jaren Mangham and freshman Ashaad Clayton, who should be important pieces this season, as well as guys like sophomores Deion Smith and Joe Davis who could see more work this season.

Next up on Dorrell’s list was the receivers.

“I think there’s depth at receiver, even though we lost Laviska (Shenault Jr.),” Dorrell said. “K.D. Nixon is back and a couple of other elements that played last year.”

“At linebacker, three starters are back with Carson (Wells), Nate (Landman) and Akil (Jones),” Dorrell said. “Those three will be three of the four back there.”

Finally, Dorrell shouted out the defensvie backs.

“In the secondary, we have a good, young influx of young talent that’s coming in this summer that’s here and that’s trying to establish themsleves,” Dorrell said. “We’ve got some guys who’ve played, really for the first time (last year).”

Dorrell said that the young cornerbacks last year stood out and that the freshmen coming in should complement them well.

But the guys in the trenches are still the cream of the crop for the Buffs.

“We feel that those positions are really solid for us and I couldn’t ask for anything better.”